Can we get a franchise D for any of those guys? My hunch is no. You've gotta give to get...

We already drafted a franchise defenseman. His name is Hedman. I wasn't talking about trading one/more of our prospects for a franchise defenseman. Just a solid guy that can push some guys like Brewer down the depth chart a little bit.

We already drafted a franchise defenseman. His name is Hedman. I wasn't talking about trading one/more of our prospects for a franchise defenseman. Just a solid guy that can push some guys like Brewer down the depth chart a little bit.

They're not picking Nichushkin with the circus going on around him, IMO. He has no out clause for the next 2 seasons and would likely have to pay millions to get out of his KHL deal. I suspect Nichushkin gets bounced out of the lottery now thanks to that shrewd stupidity by his agent. Especially after a blah U18 tournament, where I think the Russians finished 4th. Everyone was expecting that to be the Nichushkin show and it ended up being a circus as to whether Chelyabinsk would let him go to the tournament and an even bigger circus once the transfer mess came out. That and the pressure to perform I think led to a subpar performance by Nichushkin, which I think leaves him shy of cracking the top-3.

It'll be one of the Halifax kids. I think MacKinnon's the safer pick athletically because of his superior skating ability, but Drouin's got "it".

Here's the Cliff's Notes version of what Murray said about the top-5 kids:

Overall he said there's no A+ (i.e. Crosby-type) talents, but 5-10 A or A- players.

Barkov
-Big forward who is both a playmaker and goalscorer.
- Top-10 in the SM-liiga in scoring at 17 years old.
- Good skater, good puck-handler, and good defensive player.
- Red flag is a recent shoulder separation they're waiting to see the x-rays on.

Comparables: Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau

Drouin
- Not quite the same caliber as Marty St. Louis.
- They had him in their top-10 since last summer.
- Dynamic offensively as both a goal scorer and playmaker. Great playmaker like St. Louis.
- Not blazing speed but above average speed and quickness.
- Extremely dangerous 1 on 1.
- Has grown a lot in the last year and they expect him to be 6' when he stops growing.

Comparables: Patrick Kane

Jones
- Not as vicious as Pronger and not as much hockey sense as Lidstrom.
- Very strong skater will log a ton of minutes and can lug the puck.
- Big righty shot and a good passer, too.
- Needs work in the defensive third.

Comparables: Alex Pieterangelo

MacKinnon
- Good combination of power and finesse.
- Elite skating.
- Plays any style of game you need him to.
- Not as much hockey sense as Drouin.
- Sometimes takes unnecessary hits.

Comparables: Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin

Nichushkin
- Big, tremendous skater.
- Took over the February U-18 tournament with his forechecking, hitting, and big goals.
- Already playing in the KHL.
- Perhaps a bit of a puck hog, and that means he's either a little selfish or lacks the vision to see his linemates.

Comparables: Alex Ovechkin or Evgeni Malkin

I think they've wanted Drouin longer than a lot of scouting staffs and they're practically shitting themselves with glee he might be sitting there for them at 3. Mind you, they'd be extremely happy with Nichushkin or Barkov at 4 or 5, but now that they have a chance at Drouin, if I read between the lines right, they're itching to take him. Murray had a negative comment about every kid but Drouin, where he pretty much advanced the counterarguments to any knocks about Drouin by saying he's quick enough even though he's not a blazer and he'll be big enough when he finishes growing. Key quote from Murray about Drouin, "...he might be as good as a playmaker as there ever is in the Draft." That's the only player where you got a hint that Murray thought there was the possibility of specialness.

Even if, and I think it's a big if, Nichuskhin is #1 on Murray's list, there is NO WAY you pick him #3. You absolutely trade down. Because... There is no way in hell Nashville picks him with Drouin/MacKinnon on the board. No way CAR picks him with Barkov on the board, and no flipping way Jay Feaster picks a Russian who already has a 2 year $4m KHL contract. Picking him #3 would be absurd.